ODDILY (23 page)

With one girl on each arm, Pepper and Carrie escorted Oddily back out into the open all the while fretting over what Pepper meant by growing balls. She was a female and had no interest in acting masculine.

“
Hold your head up and pretend you don’t see them,” Carrie barked at her like a drill sergeant.

“
Yeah, and act confident,” it was Pepper’s turn. “He’s got to believe that you’re fine with or without him.”

Oddily followed their instructions and became increasingly uncomfortable with her two new friends bombarding her with advice, telling her what to say and how to react if Maxim and his sister spotted her and came over. Certainly, their intentions were good, but what they suggested was for her to become someone other than who she was.

Suddenly, Oddily pulled away from their grip and spoke with a quivering voice. “I’m sorry to sound so ungrateful, but you two will never be able to change me. What can I say? My birth is a life sentence.”

Pepper and Carrie had stared at each other in disbelief before Pepper spoke. “I’m so sorry, Oddily. We were just trying to help you, girl.”

Oddily glanced down at her feet, feeling uncomfortable for complaining and wanted to make amends. “I’m the one who should be sorry for my rudeness.”

“
Hey, sometimes a girl has to stand up for herself. We’re cool with that!”

“
Hey, do you guys want to ride the carousel?” Oddily was hopeful.

“
Now you’re talking,” Carrie snickered.

“
Yeah, you two go ahead. I’ll catch up in a minute.”

Pepper momentarily lost her perkiness while she kept an eye on the parking lot until Maxim and his sister pulled away in their expensive cars.

30

At home, Maxim and Nexa lounged on white molded chairs, studying their next move while playing a holographic game of chess.

“
Pawn G2 to G4,” the chess piece moved on Maxim’s command.

Nexa eyed the board. “Knight F6 to G4...Gotcha,” his pawn disappeared.

“
Bishop C1 to A3,” the hologram moved Maxim’s piece into position.

“
Knight E7 to D5,” after Nexa knocked out another one of her brother’s pawns, she got up and stomped out of the room.

What happened?
Maxim followed her to her bedroom and was blind-sighted when she turned on him.

All evening your mind has been on some stupid car crash. Tonight is supposed to be my time, but all I get is your physical presence. This isn’t fair, Maxim!

I’m sorry, sis. Come here and give me a hug.

No, not until I get an explanation.

Maxim paused.
I’m warning you. You’re not going to like what’s on my mind.

Try me. 
She folded her arms over her chest.

Okay…Earlier today, while you two shopped for clothes, I searched the Internet and found an article about the incident that left Oddily an orphan.

Nexa promptly rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Stop that and let me finish.

It’s fine with me, but make this quick.

The accident happened here, on our property, near the National Forest boundary line. No wall barriers were planted yet, so the car skidded off onto our land, hitting a tree.

Nexa kept her promise by remaining quiet, so Maxim continued.

Whoever drove the car disappeared without leaving a trace.

And you’re wondering what happened.
Nexa became intrigued, as well.

Later on, after I came home to change clothes, I located the place where the accident happened.

Nexa smirked.
Now, I suppose you’re going to ask me to return to that moment in time.

Maxim
paused with uncertainty.
I was considering the possibility, and yet, I’m not comfortable with the idea. What if something goes wrong and you can’t find your way back?

Oh, how sweet,
Nexa smiled and gave him a hug.
You do care about me.

Of course, I do!
He playfully growled in her ear while giving her a bear hug.

I can’t breathe! S
he laughed, struggling out of his hold.

Sis, I’ve made my decision. I can’t ask you to do that for me when there’s a risk involved.

Listen…if my travels were somewhere other than home, I would agree with you, but our property is where I do all my practicing.

Do you mean that you stay right here on our land while you go back in time?
The notion left Maxim perplexed.

Yes, I have been enjoying visits with father, watching him interact with us throughout our youth.

Ha…have you sp…spoken to him? Maxim stuttered for perhaps the first time in his life.

No. I’ve been hiding until I understand what I can or can’t do safely. When did this calamity happen?

Maxim scanned his memory.
It occurred on
May 16, 1990, at approximately 10:30 pm.

Hmmm, its 10:05 right now,
Nexa’s beautiful blue eyes squinted in contemplation.

Why are you shutting me out?
Maxim nudged her arm when he couldn’t read her thoughts.

Without warning, the air started to change becoming thicker and harder to breathe.
What’s happening, sis? Talk to me!

The atmosphere around Nexa began to illuminate. Maxim tried to back away from the strong current of energy, but she grabbed his hand and yelled,
Hold on tight!

Had a shadow fallen across the room, or did the lights abruptly go out? He still heard the faint sound of Beethoven in the background, but the music became muffled by the loud noise of rushing wind. Then total darkness came and with it, the absence of all sound…gone in a flash.

The grip on his sister’s hand began to weaken, and when he tried to squeeze it tighter he had nothing left to grip. He screamed for her. Whether his outburst was to help him, or to support her—he wasn’t sure. Her name seemed to fling back down his throat, and he began to choke.

He was entirely alone, losing the protection of his sister’s hand. Nexa was nowhere, either to save or to turn to for comfort. He was alone in a fragment of nothingness— no light, or sound. Where was his body? He tried to move in his panic, but he had nothing to move. Light and sound had vanished, and so did he. The physical Maxim ceased to exist.

He was dead, or so he thought until he felt his limbs again. His legs and arms started to tingle, as though they had been asleep. He tried to blink, knowing that he had somehow remained alive and yet nothing else was.

The experience wasn’t as basic as darkness, or absence of sound. Darkness had a tangible quality where the world of things still existed around you. He, however, became lost in a horrifying void. It was the same way with silence. This was more than that. The deaf sensed vibrations. Here, there was nothing at all.

Suddenly he became aware of his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Had it stopped before? What had made it start again? The tingling in his arms and legs grew stronger, and he felt the beginnings of some movement. He hoped he was coming back into himself.

Maxim!
He heard his sister’s voice as his surroundings grew brighter. Her body wavered in front of his eyes appearing as though she were under water. The brightness began to dim until Nexa appeared to be normal, bending over him with a towel wrapped around her.

Nexa!
He gasped.

I’m right here. S
he spoke, but her words sounded strangely detached.

I made it!
He moaned. His heart continued to leap wildly in his chest, and then anger engulfed him.
Damn you, Nexa! You scared the crap out of me, grabbing me that way without any warning.

So, what do you think?
She ignored his grievance.
How did you like the experience?

Terrifying and horrible,
he
complained.

Nexa smiled.
I swear it gets easier.

After we get back, there will be no next time.
Maxim sat up and eyed their new surroundings.

His attention was first drawn to the walls, resembling the night sky filled with twinkling stars. Then, he eyed the brightly colored butterflies glowing in the dark like beautiful dancing nightlights. They fluttered above two small pods likened to futuristic beds. Maxim’s eyes grew wide with excitement at the remembrance of the butterflies. The dim lights were soothing before falling asleep each night.

I find it hard to believe that we’re here, sis. Eighteen years into the past and our young selves are sleeping in those beds!

Desiring a closer look,
he tried to stand, but Nexa stayed him with her hand.

Calm down and don’t make any sudden moves. You’ll wake us up.

Maxim remained still while his mind continued to race. He had survived time travel! Nexa succeeded in creating a vacuum of space to open a rift. The wormhole enabled them to, particle-by-particle, slip into another timeline. He couldn’t comprehend the repercussions of what this meant and at that moment, he didn’t have to try. Nexa distracted him with a tap on his arm. She beckoned him to follow.

Maxim quietly got to his feet, and for the first time, he realized he was naked. He cupped his hands over his manhood as he joined his sister at the pods and stared down at the toddlers. They appeared to be no more than two years old, resting in a moderate temperature for optimum comfort.

What happened to our clothes, sis?

Good question,
she handed him a towel while staring at her small self.
I’ve never been here at night.

This is unbelievable
. Maxim shook his head while covering himself.
I can barely accept this is happening.

I know, and I wish we had time to let this sink in for you, but time is running out. If you want to know what happened to cause Oddily’s orphaned fate, we need to act now.

Then let’s go.
Maxim headed for the doorway, but stopped when he overheard a noise.
Someone’s coming!

Come with me!
Maxim grabbed Nexa by the arm and found a hiding place in the hygiene room. They waited until the humming sound of their former nursemaid, Mollee came into the bedroom.

The monitors must have given us away, sis.

Relax, there’s no monitor’s yet.
 
This timeline happened only three years after father arrived. At this point, everything is still under construction.

Damn, this is strange!

I sympathize with you.
Nexa placed her arm around him.
The first time was weird for me too.

Maxim and Nexa were relieved when Mollee left after checking on their young selves. Running out of time, they stumbled with their bare feet over to the crash site. They hardly had a moment to spare, scampering to hide behind a boulder, when the screeching of breaks and the loud, ear shattering sound of the crash echoed through the night.

Besides the frantic cry of an infant, the car horn blared along with the smell of rubber and gas. After Maxim had jumped out from behind the boulder, he froze in place when he viewed the tangled mess of metal. “No…no way!”

Shush!
Nexa stepped out and whacked him on his arm while she eyed the disaster for herself.
You’re right. That is nasty!

Maxim had rushed over to the wreckage before Nexa thought to stop him.

Don’t touch anything,
she warned, refusing to follow. The thought of witnessing any blood or gore made her stomach churn.

Maxim stared into the smashed window at the driver; a young female no older than him was slumped over the steering wheel. The girl resembling Oddily appeared to be seriously hurt. She was moaning inaudibly, so he leaned closer.

“
My baby…my baby,” she repeated over and over again.

Tears filled Maxim’s eyes, and he started to cry. It was the most helpless, hopeless feeling he had ever experienced while his attention rested upon Oddily, the hysterical infant, in the back seat. He desperately wanted to pick her up and save her from the future she was about to endure, but he stayed strong and continued to do nothing. “Your baby is going to be all right,” he whispered to the mother. “I’ll take good care of her, I promise.”